1. I've had nausea (the kind where you want to puke) now off and on for about a month. I had taken myself off of the plaquenil thinking that was the cause, and its not. Of course, taking myself off of the plaquenil was a dumb decision because my joint issues spiraled out of control.

She ordered the following tests for me today:

GASTROENTEROLOGY/DIG LIVER - REFERRAL/TRANSFER OF CARE Referral ((She wants me to see a gastro doctor for my nausea as her and I both know I'm not one to get nauseated much less vomit))

She's also put me on prednisone (a low dose 5mg for a week) I'm not really supposed to be on it as a cardiac patient but my cardiologist approved a week of 5mg)

Attached below are the images from my hand xrays today - to me they look pretty good so I'm releived and hoping I do not have the destructive joint type of inflammatory processes. Crossing my fingers anyway

mountaindreamer

10-26-2009, 07:37 PM

hi anna, i am so glad that your dr. is thoroughly checking out your nausea problem. Will she call you with results, or do you have to wait until you return for your next appointment? Hope the steroids help you feel better really soon.

justomegirlindallas

10-26-2009, 07:40 PM

My doctor uses something called 'My chart' essentially, I can log into a website and look at my test results and communicate with my doctor via the mychart system. I won't know about the pancreas/gallbladder thing until I have the sonogram.

I hate prednisone, that stuff landed me in the epileptic unit last time I was on it, but this is a 5 mg dose, I was on 60mg a day back when I had siezures.

justomegirlindallas

10-27-2009, 06:45 AM

Vitamin D is the one I'm owrried about. I been taking d3, but I think I may be low on some other kinda d

justomegirlindallas

10-27-2009, 06:45 AM

my hands look pretty good - bteter than they feel

oscarinfw

10-28-2009, 08:15 PM

Looks like the "Lupus profile" testing my rheumy ordered for me during an initial visit. I've had consistently elevated ANA levels and a severe skin rash episode thought to be psoriasis, but I wanted to see a rheumy about the possibility of lupus rashes. The rheumy also requested skin biopsies to confirm the visual diagnosis of psoriasis (psoriasis confirmed).

The bloodwork came back with elevated Anti-DS DNA and Anti-Sm antibodies which are fairly specific for lupus. At the time of the bloodwork, I was on Enbrel for psoriasis; a drug known to induce lupus-like symptoms in the rare patient. That rare patient turned out to be me. The Enbrel was terminated, the bloodwork repeated and the suspect antibody counts returned to normal.

A few months later in the middle of the summer heat, I had new facial rashes/blisters a dermatologist had determined to be bullous lupus. The rheumy was not convinced until subsequent bloodwork revealed elevated Anti-RNP antibodies suggesting of MCTD.

Now I'm on Imuran and plaquenil with frequent visits to the Rheumy to do bloodwork and look for other signs of (progressive?) disease. I've recently been tested for Folic Acid/Vitamin B12 deficiencies plus abnormal blood cell sizes.